Dissertation Research: Vasopressin-Glutamate Interactions in the LAH of Aggressive Male Syrian Hamsters

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During the past 40 years research in aggression has identified the main neurotransmitters and brain areas involved in the modulation of aggressive behavior. However, how key brain areas and neurotransmitters interact to modulate aggression is unknown. In the lateral anterior hypothalamus (i.e., LAH; the center of control of aggression that receives and integrates aggression inputs from other brain areas involved in aggression control and sends output projections back), vasopressin is a neuropeptide that facilitates aggression. Moreover, in this brain area glutamate (i.e., a predominant excitatory amino acid in the hypothalamus) has been previously hypothesized to be the aggression output system to other aggression brain areas. The current project will focus on understanding how interactions between vasopressin and glutamate in the LAH modulate the aggressive behavior. Specifically, male Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) exposed to moderate doses of anabolic androgenic steroids will be used to investigate whether increased hypothalamic vasopressin stimulates the activity of glutamate cells and underlies the escalated aggressive behavior observed in these animals. This project will primarily use behavior pharmacology to investigate how changes in aggressive behavior map to changes in brain activity. The findings from this project will not only provide new knowledge that will further our understanding on the neurobiology of aggression but it will also make a contribution to other research areas investigating how brain mechanisms regulate behavior. Moreover, this project will promote the development as an early neuroscientist of a female PhD student and training in laboratory of various undergraduate students from underrepresented groups.